After the sessions we interviewed Dr Suleman about his services and his impression of the people he treated in Leicester.

What type of hijama treatments do you offer?

I have two different types of treatment available, one for basic hijama designed for people wanting to fulfil the Sunna alone and another designed for people who would like to address specific health problems that they are suffering with, as well as fulfilling the Sunna.For those wishing to have the treatment for Sunna purposes alone I first determine if the person is suitable for hijama treatment or not. I then start by explaining the procedure and all the possible side effects. If the patent is happy, we then continue with the hijama treatment with only one cup applied on the back of the neck in between the shoulder blades. This point is well reported as a site the prophet Muhammad (sws) used and is seen in the traditional sense to be a point for promoting general health.

For those wishing to address a particular problem I first find out what the root of their problem is and whether or not hijama could be of benefit to them. I discuss this with the patient and then explain the procedure in detail, explaining all the possible side effects. If in my view the patient is suitable for the treatment and is happy with everything we discuss we begin the treatment by applying a combination of wet and/or dry cups, as and where needed for their particular condition.

How do you determine if a patent is suitable for hijama or not and how do you find out what their problem is?

For all patients I begin by taking a case history to gain an insight into their current health status. This involves questions about diet, lifestyle, past and present medication, supplements, family and what we medically call a “systems review”. This is a detailed series of questions enquiring about any past or present problems in each of the different body systems. This usually takes approximately 25 minutes in a straight forward case however as most cases are not straight forward on average this takes approximately 40 minutes.

I then continue by doing some basic physical examinations called vital signs. This is to make sure blood pressure, temperature; heart rate and breathing rate are all within normal limits. Once I have gathered all of this information I have enough to determine whether or not it is safe to continue with hijama treatment. If I feel that the patient is not suitable for treatment other options are suggested, if there are symptoms that concern me and require further investigation I refer the patient back to their GP or health care provider for this.

For those patients that wish to address a particular condition, I take a further and more detailed case history into the problem/s that they are experiencing before starting any examinations. This can take an extra half hour and involves questions specific to their complaint. I then continue with their medical examination by taking their vital signs and by examining the area and related areas that they are experiencing problems with. Depending on the complaint I use a combination of orthopaedic, neurological and manual palpation examination techniques to try and uncover the cause of the problem. Once I have complete all the examinations I explain to the patient what I have found and what the apparent problem is. After discussing the treatment options with the patient we continue with hijama if appropriate. Again if there are any symptoms that concern me I refer the patient back to their GP or health care provider.

What type of cups and cupping techniques do you use/offer?

For wet cupping I only use the mechanical plastic cups for the sake of hygiene and ease of use. These cups are single use cups however I allow the patients to take these cups away with them. They have the option of sterilising the cups themselves at home and reusing them on the next visit or they can purchase new cups each time.

For dry cupping I use the fire cupping method with traditional class cups. In this method I use ethanol soaked cotton wool to create a flame in the cup to produce the vacuum. These cups are washed and sterilised for each visit.

I also use these cups for the moving cupping technique. I find these more effective than the other options due to their smooth edges.

How did you find Leicester and what was your impression of the general health status of the people you saw?

Alhumdulilah Leicester is a very nice place with a vibrant Muslim community. As for health status I must say generally there is lots of room for improvement in areas such as diet, exercise and general lifestyle with regards to obtaining healthier living. Many people had not visited their G.P in over 2 years and some had never had their blood pressure checked before. It is understandable that the health systems are under a lot of pressure but this is no reason to give up on your own health care. If there is something that is concerning you, make sure you are seen by your G.P. If you are not happy with what he has said or advised than tell him, and ask to be referred. Health is the greatest wealth and it is something that should not be wasted.

With regards to hijama the response was huge and I apologise that we were not able to accommodate all the people who wished to receive care. Inshallah due to the high demand we will be looking to arrange another session in the near future. I hope and pray that all who were treated were happy with the service they received and pray that Allah grant you all Shiffa from your complaints and good health in the future. Ameen.

Jazakallah Br Shuaib for all the hard work and effort in arranging this for the people of Leicester.

Our thanks to Dr Rizwhan Suleman from Cardiff, Wales for sharing the above post. If you were treated by Dr Suleman during his visit, then kindly leave him some feedback on your treatment by leaving a comment* below.

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Comments: 6

Just a note to let you know that I had hijama done for the first time with Dr Suleman in Leicester on Saturday 1 August.

This included one wet-cup on the back between the shoulders as well as some dry-cupping on the rest of my back.

After the Hijama I feel much better, although this was not immediately apparent. My body somehow feels a lot looser, as the stiffness has disappeared. I feel that I can relax more as the tension is no longer there. Since the treatment, I have slept so much better and felt a whole lot better in waking up, I was ready to "get up and go".

Honestly speaking, I do not know where the difference is, but there is something different in the way my whole body feels.

I have noticed a massive improvement in my circulation especially when cycling up hill and when sitting in the "at tah iyaat" position. Previously whilst sitting in that position I would get a dead leg after a few minutes but after the treatment, I can sit in this position for a long time without discomfort. I experienced no dizziness or no side effects immediately after the treatment. Overall I feel much more sharp and alert.

I have always wanted to carry out the sunnah act of hijama, but never really met the right people. I always had the impression that the whole process would be very daunting and unprofessional.

Alhamdulillah Dr Rizwhan did a great job, no pain, very professional and I feel I have had no problems so far. If anything, as far as I am concerned I recommend anyone should at least get it done once a year as an act of sunnah. InshaAllah I hope to continue the practice of hijama in the future.

I have had hijama done twice recently in July with Dr Suleman for Sunnah reasons as well for improving my eczema / psoriasis that I suffer. The first time I couldn't really tell any difference. After the second treatment two weeks later where I had hijama done on my hands as well as my back, the itching actually got worse on my hands for a while! However after some time, the tough skin on my hands actually became softer and the itching cleared up significantly on my hands, so much so that I no longer need to wear the protective gloves that I previously had to wear on a daily basis. I was also following a strict diet at the time as advised by another herbalist so I think it was probably a combination of things that made a difference, however it appears the hijama on the hands gave it a bit of a boost (by clearing out some of the 'irritating' things in the blood – as I understand it – and triggering the body to produce some new blood), and so I am now looking to have some treatment on some problem areas on my legs to see if it makes a difference there" –

I had hijama done with Dr Suleman back in July. I thought the consultation procedure was a bit lengthy but I suppose to be thorough that is understandable at first appointment. I had hijama at sunnah point and on the lower back as well as some dry cupping. A few days after the treatment, I could tell that I felt lighter, less lethargic and have generally more energy than before. I was surprised that some referred pain elsewhere in the body (that I wasn't looking to treat) disappeared completely which was a bonus! As for the lower back pain this improved somewhat, however I feel I probably need couple more sessions hence I have rebooked in October! – Ashraf Okhai

I had hijama for some back pain which I have had for the past 24 years (which started when I used to do extreme body building as a teenager). I am pleased to report that this pain has COMPLETELY gone. I also get pain in my arm and shoulder which is work-related since I am a painter by profession, so I have now decided to try hijama to see if it will improve THAT condition as well.